(By Seth Resler) Radio broadcasters love to talk about being “live and local.” It’s often treated as the magic solution to everything wrong with the industry. The thinking goes like this: if we could just go back to the days before syndicated shows, voice-tracked talent from other markets, and music logs scheduled by people in distant cities, radio would bounce back.
“Live and local” has become a rallying cry against corporate consolidation and the loosening of ownership rules.
But there’s a problem with this line of thinking: there’s very little evidence that “live and local” content alone will fix anything.
Let’s break down both pieces – live and local – and look at how audiences actually engage with media today.
Thanks to on-demand technology, people no longer wait around for live content. They consume what they want, when they want it. Streaming has replaced scheduled programming. Podcasts have replaced appointment listening. Even Saturday Night Live isn’t watched live anymore.
With a few exceptions like sports, breaking news, and big cultural events, audiences don’t value “live” the way they used to. Convenience has won.
We also like to assume that people want more local content. But if that were true, local newspapers wouldn’t be folding, local TV wouldn’t be cutting staff, and local blogs and podcasts would be booming. They’re not.
When journalists talk about the decline of local media, they often blame a lack of supply. But it’s more likely we’re looking at a demand issue. If people were really clamoring for local coverage, they’d be showing up for it. The reality? Most aren’t.
So why do I still believe that listeners want “live and local”?
Because they do—but not in the way most broadcasters mean it.
Audiences don’t necessarily want more local content. They want more local connection.
Earlier this year, three public radio organizations – PMCC, Greater Public, and Station Resource Group – collaborated on a research project called Researching Unmet Needs. They surveyed 30,000 Americans to better understand how public radio stations can better serve their audiences.
The top takeaway?
“There’s a powerful craving for community and live local connection. People want to know their local areas better and to connect with other members of their community, not only virtually but live and in-person.”
To be clear: this study focused on public radio. But there’s no reason to think this insight applies only to public radio listeners. It likely reflects a much broader cultural shift. People across demographics, markets, and formats want more opportunities to connect with others in their community.
This isn’t about producing more local segments. It’s about creating meaningful opportunities for people to interact, participate, and belong.
A thousand commuters tuned in to the same station on their morning drive are not a community. They’re just a group of people doing the same thing in isolation.
To create connection, stations need to do more than broadcast. They need to create spaces – physical or digital – where people can actually come together.
And you can’t create those spaces with content alone.
So does “live and local” still matter? Yes—but not as a content strategy. As a connection strategy. If radio wants to be relevant again, it needs to stop thinking like a content company and start thinking like a community builder.
Seth Resler is a 30-year broadcasting veteran and the founder of Community Marketing Revolution, which shows content creators how to build communities around their brands.
It sounds like you’re replacing a few words and throwing out buzz phrases like “cultural shift”. People’s needs are not complex, but radio people overcomplicate things in their attempt to put their job on a high shelf. I once asked a former boss of mine who our target audience was when I work for one of those Jack FM Stations.. he responded “humans who eat, sleep, go to the bathroom, work, crave love, want to be heard, and want to connect.” It’s not gender specific, not generational.. it’s human connection. what a concept!
Most local stations are already community focused and connecting on daily (many times hourly) basis within the community. Local might not be a magic pill, but it sure helps. One thing that isn’t working is the same 4 consultants saying the same things over and over again/ not having been behind the microphone ever or within the last 3 decades. Radio industry folk also need to surround themselves with non-industry every day people who don’t care about call letters, radio geekdom, or anything else that the average joe is non-plussed about. Ask your neighbor who you don’t know very well what he/she thinks of your station.. and prepare to be humbled. they don’t care if you hired a big name consultant and they probably aren’t wowed by your radio resume either. Step out of your radio bubble, ask real listeners what they think of your stations .. and take direction from your real bosses… the listeners.. not some burnt out radio programmer who speaks in trite radio terms and refers to music testing. (which is a flawed concept because that’s how they felt about the song in the moment of the music test.. and they’ll feel totally different in 5 minutes in a different setting).
I am not sure I agree with the position. But, I do appreciate the discussion supporting live and local radio coverage.
I think people are not aware how much 24/7 live and local talk radio is important to the health and well-being ( including promoting events that encourage human contact) to their communities.
Where I live we desperately need a local all talk radio station. There is no dedicated 24/7 radio coverage of weather, traffic, local, state, national and international events and local opinions in my city. There is a local station that plays music and broadcasts our professional sports games. But, it does not provide timely weather-related coverage such as tornado warnings or timely traffic updates or timely important closures… you get the gist.
I would love to invest in such an operation. I would operate it on far less financing with a mix of secular and non-secular perspectives in order to keep the station viable.
Yep. I’ve been saying this for decades. You have to get out there and actually *be a part of* the community. Not just remote broadcast promotions, but actually *getting involved* and participating in meaningful activities that impact people. Today’s audiences want genuine interaction, not someone doing 30-second segments at a car dealership.
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